Chapter Ten – Matt
Was eight o’clock too early to call at Rachel’s house? Matt mused as he parked his truck outside and reached for the brown paper bag on the passenger seat that contained freshly baked pain au chocolat.
It’s never too early when you come bearing such delicious sweet treats, his bear told him.
We’ll see, Matt replied as he got out of the truck and headed for the house. He’d been up since five this morning baking, his head filled with thoughts of his mate.
Try not to look so nervous, Matt’s bear told him.
Hard not to, Matt replied as he strode to Rachel’s door. He paused before knocking. He could sense Tessa in the kitchen. Alone.
Knock, his bear demanded.
But as he raised his hand, he sensed Tessa approaching.
She knows we’re here! Matt’s bear was ecstatic.
While Matt’s nerves increased.
“Morning.” Tessa opened the door with a bright smile that reached her eyes, and his nerves evaporated.
“Morning.” Matt cracked a wide smile.
“Would you like to come in?” Tessa stepped back, opening the door wider. The delicious scent wafting from the brown paper bag caught her attention immediately. “Those smell amazing.”
“Fresh pain au chocolat,” Matt said, following her inside. “I made them myself this morning.”
Tessa’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “You made these? That’s impressive.”
“It’s kind of my thing,” he replied with a small shrug that couldn’t quite hide his pleasure at her reaction.
“Well, your timing is perfect. These might actually motivate the girls to get out of bed for school.” She glanced toward the stairs. “Monday mornings are always a struggle.”
School. Monday. Of course. Matt hadn’t even considered that. He’d been so focused on seeing Tessa that he’d forgotten about normal weekday routines.
“Come on,” Tessa beckoned him toward the kitchen. “Would you like some coffee? I just made a fresh pot.”
“That would be great, thanks.”
The kitchen was warm and inviting, with children’s artwork pinned to the fridge by an array of magnets and a vase of wildflowers on the table. Tessa moved around with comfortable familiarity, reaching for mugs from a cabinet.
“How do you take it?” she asked, pouring the rich, dark liquid into a mug.
“Black is fine.”
She handed him a mug decorated with painted handprints that were clearly made by small fingers. He took a sip. The coffee was strong and perfect.Like our mate, his bear said.
Oh yeah, Matt replied.
“I’ll be right back,” Tessa said. “Need to wake the girls.”
Matt nodded, taking another sip as she disappeared upstairs. He could hear her voice, gentle but insistent, calling to Aria and Lucy.
“Time to get up, sleepyheads! Matt’s here with a surprise for breakfast!”
There was a muffled response he couldn’t quite make out, followed by Tessa’s laugh. A sound that made him smile.
When she returned to the kitchen, Tessa pulled plates from a cabinet and carefully extracted the pastries from the bag, arranging them on a serving dish.
“These look incredible.” She looked up at him with a smile. “You know, you’re welcome for breakfast every morning if you bring these.”
Offer accepted, his bear said happily, practically purring with contentment.
“I might take you up on that,” Matt replied, trying to keep his tone light despite the surge of hope her words had triggered.
“It’s beautiful outside.” Tessa looked toward the window as her cheeks flushed pink. “Want to sit in the backyard? The morning sun is perfect right now. It’s one of the things I love about the house. That and the view of the mountains.”
“It’s a view I’ll never tire of,” Matt replied.
And I’ll never tire of the view of our mate, his bear added.
They carried their coffee and the pastries out to the small patio. Dew still clung to the grass, sparkling in the early light. A gentle breeze carried the scent of the flowers blooming along the fence line.
“Rachel’s worked hard on the garden since she moved in,” Tessa said, settling into a chair at the small wooden table.
“It shows,” Matt said, sitting across from her.
The morning light caught in Tessa’s hair, highlighting strands of gold among the chestnut waves.
He took another sip of coffee to distract himself from staring.Tessa pointed to a section near the tree where the fairy house they’d built still stood. “The fairy house is still standing.”
Matt chuckled. “I saw. And I’m relieved. I would not want to let the fairies down.”
“You do not,” Tessa agreed, as she leaned back in her chair. “Lucy insisted we add more sparkly rocks yesterday because, and I quote, ‘Fairies need extra sparkle on Mondays.’”
“Smart kid,” Matt said. “Mondays definitely need extra sparkle.”
Tessa broke off a piece of pastry, the flaky layers shattering delicately. “These are incredible,” she said after taking a bite. “Seriously, I’ve had pain au chocolat in actual French bakeries that weren’t this good.”
Heat crept up Matt’s neck at the praise. “Thanks. Baking was my first love in the kitchen. I love creating pastries and tempting desserts.”
“Is that why you became a chef?” Tessa asked, leaning forward slightly, her eyes intent on his face.
Matt thought about it for a moment. No one had ever asked him before. “Partly. But mostly it was growing up in a family where food was... everything. Not just sustenance, but connection. History. Love.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Tessa whispered.
Before Matt could respond, the back door swung open. Aria appeared first, her dark hair pulled into slightly uneven pigtails, followed closely by Lucy, who was still in her pajamas with unicorns printed on them.
“Matt!” Lucy exclaimed, her face lighting up. “You came back!”
“I did,” he replied, unable to suppress his smile at her enthusiasm. “And I brought breakfast.”
Rachel appeared in the doorway behind them, moving carefully but with noticeably less pain than before. She leaned lightly on a cane rather than the makeshift crutch she’d been using.
“Something smelled too good to stay in bed,” she said with a knowing smile as she surveyed the scene. “Morning, Matt.”
“Morning, Rachel. How’s the ankle?”
“Much better,” she replied, making her way to the table and lowering herself carefully into a chair. “Another day or two and I should be able to handle a shift again.”
Matt felt a strange mix of emotions at her words—happiness for Rachel’s recovery, of course, but also a flicker of concern. Once Rachel returned to work, Tessa would no longer need to cover her shifts. The temporary arrangement that had brought them together would end.
“That’s great news,” he said, keeping his tone light despite the sudden tightness in his chest.
Lucy climbed onto the chair next to him, her small face peering up with undisguised interest. “Did you make these?” she asked, pointing at the pastries.
“I did,” Matt replied, warmed by her curiosity. “Do you like to bake?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “Mom lets us help sometimes. I’m the official chocolate chip counter.”
“Very important job,” Matt said seriously. “Can’t have too many or too few chocolate chips. Has to be just right.”
Lucy beamed at his understanding of her crucial role in the baking process. She selected a pastry with careful deliberation, as if making a life-altering decision.
“So what brings you by so early?” Rachel asked, her tone casual but her eyes knowing as they darted between Matt and Tessa.
Matt cleared his throat. “Actually, I was hoping to talk to Tessa about something.” He turned toward Tessa, whose expression held a hint of surprise. “The farmers’ market is today in the town square. I thought maybe you’d like to go? It’ll give you a real taste of Bear Creek.”
His bear held its breath, waiting for her response.
“That sounds wonderful,” Tessa said, her smile sending a wave of warmth through him. “I’d love to.”
“Great,” Matt said, trying not to sound as relieved as he felt. “It starts early...”
“Why don’t you go after breakfast?” Rachel suggested innocently. “I’m perfectly capable of getting the girls to school.”
Aria looked up from her pastry, chocolate smeared at the corner of her mouth. “Can you see if there is anything pretty we can use in our fairy garden?”
“I wish I could go to the farmers’ market,” Lucy said, aiming her adorable puppy-dog eyes at her mom.
“We can go during spring break,” Rachel replied.
“But Tessa won’t be here then,” Aria said as she took a bite of her pastry.
“I could always come back for another visit,” Tessa replied.
“I don’t want you to just visit.” Lucy hooked her arm through Tessa’s. “I want you to stay here forever.”
So do I! Matt’s bear roared.
“Come on, eat up, then go and get dressed, or you’ll be late for school,” Rachel said, deflecting Lucy’s wish so Tessa wasn’t put on the spot to answer.
The girls ate their pastries and then ran over to their fairy garden for an inspection before heading inside.
“I’ll go make sure they don’t get distracted,” Rachel said and winked at Tessa, who blushed.
Alone again, Matt’s bear purred.
“So, this farmers’ market,” Tessa began. “Is there anything you need for the restaurant?”
“I’m mostly browsing, but I might pick up a few specialty items if something catches my eye,” Matt replied, relieved to have a moment alone with her.
“I’m always looking to change up the menu at the restaurant.
I’m particularly interested in some chilies.
And any seasonal vegetables from local farms. I like to support the local economy and producers as much as possible. ”
“I like that,” Tessa said with a nod of approval. “And I like these.” She put the rest of her pain au chocolat in her mouth and closed her eyes.
Matt tried not to stare, but it was impossible. But he was quick to look away when she opened them again.
“I’ve been working on your mother’s birthday gift,” she said. “The courtyard sketch. I think it’s coming along nicely.”
“I’m sure it’s perfect,” Matt said, meaning it completely.